Gen Z voter enrolment delayed? ECI annual roll revision misses usual deadline, report says

New Delhi: The annual revision of electoral rolls for 2026-27 has been delayed amid reported differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI), potentially affecting the timely enrolment of people turning 18, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The annual Summary Special Revision (SSR), which has traditionally been conducted across states, has not resumed since the 2024 cycle, the report said. The exercise was not carried out in 2025-26 amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) launched in Bihar in 2025.

According to The Economic Times, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi have advocated resuming the annual SSR. The report said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had sought a legal opinion earlier this year on whether an SSR should be conducted while the SIR exercise was under way.

Following the legal advice, the two Election Commissioners are learnt to have reiterated the need to resume the annual revision in line with the ECI's electoral roll manual, the report said.

Why the revision matters

The SSR is important for adding people who turn 18 to the electoral rolls. Eligible citizens can now register using four qualifying dates- January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, instead of relying only on January 1 as the qualifying date.

The change was introduced to ensure that those who turn 18 during the year do not have to wait until the following year to register as voters.

The revision process also helps update electoral rolls and identify discrepancies, according to the report.

The ECI generally announces the annual SSR by the end of May or early June, after which chief electoral officers are issued formal instructions. Pre-revision work usually takes place over two to three months, followed by publication of draft rolls and a period for claims and objections.

However, the 2026-27 exercise has missed its usual announcement window, The Economic Times reported.

Impact on poll-bound states

The report noted that the revision is particularly significant in states due to hold Assembly elections.

While Uttarakhand and Punjab are undergoing SIR, Uttar Pradesh and Goa have already completed the process and would ordinarily undergo SSR ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Bihar, meanwhile, is approaching a year since its previous roll revision, according to the report.

Administrative impact

The reported differences within the poll panel have also affected the clearance of annual confidential reports (ACRs) of officials, The Economic Times said.

According to the report, ACRs of nearly 50 officials transferred during 2025-26, including chief electoral officers and deputy election commissioners, have been awaiting clearance because they require the signatures of the CEC and the two Election Commissioners.

Several officials are learnt to have approached the three members separately to have their reports cleared, while some ACRs were still pending, the report said.

The ECI has separately maintained that differences during deliberations are part of its functioning and that major decisions on the SIR have been taken unanimously.